NSDFI to splash N900m on Tokyo 2020 Olympics athletes

-Badminton, Athletics, 3 others to enjoy grant

-90 athletes to get N10m each Olympic grant after CWG

Happy days are here again for Team Nigeria athletes as preparations are on ground to make them smiles for the rest of their lives if the words of top officials of the Nigeria Sports Development Funds Incorporated are anything to go by.
Starting with Amateur athletes, coaches and officials from sports federations have been programmed to be the pilot of the National Athlete insurance scheme. They will be given minimum insurance cover.
While 90 athletes from five sports will enjoy Olympic grants after the Commonwealth Games with comprehensive insurance and annuity plans.
These were disclosed in Abuja on Tuesday by Mr Olajide Fashikun, the Director General of NSDFI in a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony with Leadway Assurance Nigeria Limited at their corporate office in Central Business District.
According to the former handball national team captain, Fashikun said, “as part of our commitment to make Nigerian amateur athletes in the nation feel safer doing sports, we are entering into this agreement with Leadway Assurance Nigeria Limited for this scheme. This is a programme we have aimed at achieving since 21 years ago when the organisation was incorporated to raise fund to develop sports in the country.”
Leadway will provide comprehensive insurance coverage and annuity for the 90 athletes in Badminton, Cycling, Athletics, Taekwondo and Wrestling. These athletes will be supported to prepare for the 2020 Olympics. They shall enjoy N10m grant. N5m is to enable them attend tournaments anywhere in the world as part of eyeing medals in the Olympics.
“Gold medal winners in Tokyo will go home with N10m, silver will get N7.5m and bronze will get N5m. These are structures we are using to replicate the same way our Fund supported the 2006 Olympics which has remained the hall mark of our Olympic appearance,” said the former Zamalek SC of Egypt handball player.
The Leadway Assurance was led by the Zonal Director, Mr Allan Onifade, said, “we appreciate the professionalism of the NSDFI team. At a point we thought this deal has fallen through. It is our prayer to see some of these young athletes who will be motivated to do better with our insurance cover. The era of athletes suffering and dying in silence is over”
“As the nation’s insurance giants with a long and respected history over the years, we are so glad to have the product. It is wonderful working with this team of former Nigerian internationals whose passion for the next generation is compulsive. I can guarantee the nation’s athletes that this is a new energy to propel them to be better athletes. In Leadway Assurance, we are the best and that is the house to look forward to for life to go on with confidence,” Onifade submitted.
Present at the event were the Executive Director (Technical) Chief Mary Onyali and the Finance Director, Alhaji Fatai Adeshina. While on the Leadway team were Mustapha Onasanya, Idowu Akinwunmi, Femi Awodimbola and Sunny Usiobaifo.

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